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TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. - The 2012 Forbes Awards are published and The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe has been awarded the prestigious Four-Star Award. In addition to the hotel receiving Four-Stars, both The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Lake Tahoe and on-property restaurant Manzanita, created by James Beard award-winning Chef Traci Des Jardins were recognized with Four-Star Awards. This is the first time a resort, restaurant and spa have received Forbes Four-Star Awards, both individually and combined in one location in the long history of the Lake Tahoe destination.

"Receiving three Forbes Four-Star Awards is testament to the dedication and outstanding efforts of the ladies and gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe," said Allen Highfield, general manager for the resort. "These are really their awards and I am extremely proud of their service commitment to our guests."

Lodgings at this level feature luxurious accommodations and provide meticulous service, exceeding guest expectations and maintaining impeccable standards of excellence. Many personalized services and amenities provide an unmatched level of comfort. An expert service staff exceeds guest expectations by attending to every detail in an effortless and unobtrusive manner.

The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Lake Tahoe and Manzanita are part of a select group representing the upper echelon of the hospitality industry. For 2012, Forbes Travel Guide's newest Four-Star award-winners encompass 176 hotels, 146 restaurants and 103 spas. How does Forbes Travel Guide determine who receives a Four-Star Award? Forbes inspectors visit every hotel, restaurant and spa rated, anonymously testing every aspect of a property's experience. Forbes inspectors evaluate more than 500 standards at each property visited, rating both the physical facilities and the service experience.

"We are honored to receive the prestigious Forbes Four-Star Award," said Steven Holt, market director, public relations for The Ritz-Carlton Hotels of Northern California. "At The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe we are committed to providing premier hospitality experiences that consistently exceed our guest expectations."

To learn about The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe visit www.ritzcarlton.com/laketahoe. To confirm hotel reservations contact your travel professional or Ritz-Carlton worldwide reservations at 800-241-3333. To make reservations at Manzanita, call 530-562-3050.

About The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe

The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe is the first Forbes Four-Star and AAA Five Diamond resort in the Lake Tahoe area and the newest resort to be built in the region in decades. The 170-room resort, nestled mid-mountain on Northstar California is a contemporary mountain retreat featuring slope-side ski-in, ski-out access in winter and mountain concierge services for golfing, mountain biking and hiking in the summer. The hotel's signature restaurant, Manzanita was created by James Beard Award-winning San Francisco chef Traci Des Jardins and features her seasonal French-inspired California cuisine. The Highlands Spa is a 17,000-square foot spa and fitness center with treatments and therapies themed around water and the woods. Guests will also enjoy preferred tee times and access to Old Greenwood and Gray's Crossing Golf Courses in the nearby historic town of Truckee. An inter-mountain gondola connects guests between the nearby Village-at-Northstar and The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe resort, a 10-minute drive from the North Shore of Lake Tahoe.

About Forbes Travel Guide

For more than 50 years, Forbes Travel Guide has assisted travelers in making smart decisions about where to stay and dine when traveling. Since its founding in 1958 as Mobil Travel Guide, Forbes Travel Guide has been committed to the same rigorous inspections of hotels, restaurants and spas - the most comprehensive in the industry with more than 500 standards tested at each property they visit - to help you cut through the clutter and make easy and informed decisions on where to spend your time and money. The Forbes team of anonymous inspectors is constantly on the road, sleeping in hotels, eating in restaurants and making spa appointments, evaluating those exacting standards to determine a property's rating.

Forbes inspectors look for more than just high-thread count sheets, pristine spa treatment rooms and white linen-topped tables. They look for service that's attentive, individualized and unforgettable. Service is paramount and inspectors note how long it takes to be greeted when you sit down at your table, or to be served when you order room service, or whether the hotel staff can confidently help you when you've forgotten that one essential annually, testing hundreds of attributes to compile the ratings, and the ratings cannot be bought or influenced. When you travel with Forbes Travel Guide, you can travel with confidence, knowing that you'll get the very best experience, no matter who you are.